The Heir of the Opera
by FantasticMisticalWonder
Summary: In an attempt to help Orwell and Vince, Max takes the Carnival of Crime to see a touring musical - and Orwell finds the plot frighteningly similar to one of her own experiences. Post and Spoilers for the Lich Parts 1 and 2, slight Orwell/Vince


Just recently watched that two-parter episode of the Cape and I couldn't help but draw parallels. XD

Disclaimer: I own NADA. All rights belong to their original owners. I don't feel like looking up who owns the Cape, so sue me for being lazy, not for copyright infringement.

* * *

"We're going to see _what_ now?" Vince asked.

Max turned and gave Vince his familiar withering look. "A play, Vincent. A musical, to be more exact. Juli – Orwell – isn't doing well cooped up here. And frankly, neither are you. You both need to get out,"

"I'm used to staying underground, Max, and so is Orwell. We still don't know how much that drug is affecting her brain, and she could be a problem –"

"A play sounds like fun," Orwell – or more precisely, Jamie, piped up.

Vince turned around and frowned at the girl. "Are you sure, Orwell? I mean, Conrad dosed you with a lot of that drug – "

"Vince, I'm fine," Jamie insisted, ignoring the white door that was looming behind him. It wasn't real, she was just imagining things. _This_ was reality: being in the Carnival of Crime, Vince being her partner and not her . . . her fiancée.

Vince looked between Max and Jamie, his hesitation clear. "I don't know Max, I really never have been one for theatre . . ."

"Hey, Vince, what's this I hear about you skipping out of seein' the play?" Rolo asked, coming up behind him.

"Rolo, I –"

"Vince, if you don't come with us, I will whip your ass and then drag you along, you hear?" Rolo asked.

Vince sighed. "All right, all right, I'll come,"

Max smiled. "Wise choice. Now, get into something at least a little respectable-looking, we don't want to be thrown out of the theatre,"

Vince sighed and then looked at Jamie as the two thieves left. "You sure you're up for this?" he asked, a worry-line on his brow.

Jamie laughed, the white door taunting her. "Vince, I'll be fine,"

Vince looked at her doubtingly, but nodded and turned, walking towards his . . . well, she supposed it was a cave.

Jamie sighed and sat down on the couch. It scared her sometimes how perceptive he was, he and Max. Well, Vince was a cop, and Max . . . well, he used to be Kozmo, so it was only to be expected. But still, the only other one who had really seen through her that way was her father.

And the Lord knew that Jamie didn't need another – or two more people like her father.

* * *

"Phantom of the Opera, really?" Vince asked as he sat down in the seat, looking at the Playbill in his hand.

"Hey, these tickets weren't easy to come by, so either enjoy the show or I'll punch you in the face," Rolo snapped.

"Rolo, could you please keep the violent talk down for one night?" Ruvi begged.

"Hey, I just don't want him whining during the show. It'll ruin the experience for me, you know?" Rolo asked.

"Vince, could you just pretend to like this to keep Rolo quiet?" Raia asked.

Vince rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll humor the angry dwarf,"

"Like Hell you will," Rolo grunted.

Vince grinned and looked over at Jamie. "How are you holding up?"

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm not some porcelain doll that's going to break if you breathe on me: I'm fine. The drug's completely left my system," she lied, the white door at the end of the aisle on her left.

_Go away, I'm fine here,_ Jamie begged.

A hush fell over the audience at the moment, and the lights dimmed.

"Showtime," Max said, just before the curtain rose, revealing an auction scene.

"Sold! Your number sir? Thank you. Lot six-six-five, ladies and gentlemen . . ."

**line break**

"I'll admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Vince said, stretching when the lights came back on.

"It's only half-way over Vince," Jamie reminded him.

"Still, so far, so good," Vince said, smiling.

Jamie smiled in response and looked around. "I used to come here as a kid and watch shows. I saw Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats . . ."

"Gregor was right, you are a little rich girl," Vince teased.

Jamie shrugged. "I guess. What about you, did you ever see any plays with your family?"

Vince shook his head. "Nah, it was mostly movies and baseball games. Dana dragged me to see _Carmen_ before Tripp was born, but that's it,"

Jamie nodded, and she remained silent, pulling out her phone and going to the Orwell database.

"Your work is never done, is it?" Vince asked.

"Is anyone's work ever done?" Jamie retaliated.

Jamie continued to work on the website until the lights dimmed again, and she tucked her phone inside her purse before turning her attention back to the stage.

* * *

"Well, I'll admit it, I cried a little at the end," Vince said when the bows finished.

"Hey, you liked it and I didn't have to kick your ass! Good work!" Rolo said, slapping Vince on the back.

"What about you, Orwell? Orwell?" Vince asked.

Jamie was frozen in her chair, her face pale.

"Hey, are you alright?" Vince asked.

Jamie blinked and gently shook herself. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

"What's wrong?" Vince asked.

"Nothing, Vince, I'm fine," Jamie said, picking up her purse and standing up.

"No, you're not. Now tell me what's wrong," Vince said firmly, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Jamie sighed. "I just had a bit of deja-vu, that's it,"

"Deja-vu?" Vince repeated.

Jamie looked him in the eye. "Conrad,"

Vince's eyes opened wide. "I found you in a wedding dress . . ."

"He told me his mother abandoned him because of his face, he spent his entire life isolated, he was an insane genius, he was deformed . . ."

"And he tried to force the only person whom he thought he connected with to marry him," Vince finished.

Jamie nodded. "And he flew into a jealous rage when someone came after her," she added.

"Hey, I guess that makes you two Christine and Raoul, then," Rolo joked.

"Nah, Vince isn't foppish enough," Ruvi said.

"Thanks," Vince said dryly before turning to look at Jamie.

"Come on, you looked tired," he said, gently taking her arm and leading her away.

Jamie was still shaken by what she had seen onstage – it was so alike to what had happened with Conrad, it was scary. It was like Gaston Leroux had seen into the future and written it down in his book.

_There's one difference between me and Christine, though_. Jamie thought.

_I didn't feel any sympathy for that crazy bastard._ She thought bitterly before looking at Vincent.

_And I wasn't saved by my fiancée._ She added.

_At least, not in reality._

* * *

Wooh! Wrote that baby in under half an hour! But seriously, did anyone else watch that episode and go "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!" I did. I practically had a spasm. XD

Review!

~FantasticMisticalWonder (FMW/Wonder)


End file.
